


The Breaking Point

by NightSky121



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-09
Updated: 2018-12-30
Packaged: 2019-07-02 15:39:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,064
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15799527
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NightSky121/pseuds/NightSky121
Summary: Being a single parent is hard enough for Lee Taeyong.When his estranged brother's children suddenly come into his care, along with the sudden reappearance of his ex, his life starts to spin out of control. As family secrets are revealed and relationships destroyed, the painful sense of awareness starts dawning on Taeyong: how long can he really last for before reaching the breaking point?





	1. How It All Began

It all started with the letter.

A plain white envelope, with his name and address neatly printed underneath. An envelope that he had disregarded at first. In fact, if it wasn't for his youngest child, Jisung, rummaging around, he wouldn't have opened the envelope at all - he'd forgotten about it entirely.

He remembers seeing the familiar neat handwriting, remembers the sinking feeling in his stomach, remembers the shock that seeped through his body.

 

**To my brother, Taeyong,**

**I know that you will be very surprised upon receiving this letter. But something terrible has happened, and I need your help.**

**You may not know that I have been struggling for months, and have been desperate to make ends meet. I am deeply ashamed to say that I am now unable to care for my children. As my only living relative, and the only one I trust, I would like you to take care for my children. If you do not accept, my children will be taken to their mother, which is something I dread and hope will never happen. I understand that it must be difficult for you as well, but please, I beg you to at least consider caring for them. Please email me your reply.**

**Your brother,**

**Qian Kun**

 

It was true - he hadn't known of his brother's struggles. Of course, they had not talked for years, but even so, Taeyong had always felt that Kun was the sort of person who would always live a steady, stable life. Now, looking at the letter, he knew he was wrong.

He knew that there was more to the story than was written in the short, desperate letter. And though his heart pitied his brother, resentment filled him. Where had Kun been when Taeyong was going through his divorce? When Taeyong was working three jobs a week to support his family? When Taeyong was struggling to provide his children with their basic needs?

 _But he's your brother_ , a little voice at the back of his mind whispered.  _He's your brother. No matter what happened, his children are innocent_.

And that was how Taeyong ended up taking care of eight children.

*          *          *

Taeyong was very nervous the day his nephews arrived.

His cool, formal exchanges with Kun over email had said nothing of the personalities of the four children, despite being plentiful in other information. Taeyong had warned his own children beforehand and repeatedly told them to be kind to their cousins. Being the inquisitive, curious children they were, they had asked several questions - questions that made anxiety rise in the pit of Taeyong's stomach, that made him wonder why he was doing this. 

It was a very calm day. The sky was as blue as the bouquet of forget-me-nots in the vase Taeyong's mother had given him seven years ago, and the clouds that floated to and by reminded Taeyong of candy floss. He would have considered it a nice day if it was not for the nervousness that filled his thoughts. 

"When are they going to be here?" Jisung had squawked in excitement, bouncing up and down. "I can't wait to see them."

"Calm down, kiddo." Taeyong had smiled and ruffled his youngest's hair.

"Wait, Dad, can you tell me the sleeping arrangements again?" Minhyung asked.

"You will share your room with Xuxi, and Jisung will share with Chenle. Jaemin and Jeno will share with Renjun. Sicheng will stay in the guest bedroom."

"Do I have to?" Minhyung pouted.

"Yes, and that's final. Remember to be polite, and don't play any pranks on them. Jeno, Jaemin, I'm talking to you," Taeyong reminded his sons. "Don't roll your eyes at me."

"You're thinking too much, Dad," Jaemin reminded his father. "They're our cousins, not strangers."

"They're pretty much strangers," Jeno disagreed. "I mean, we've never seen them before. Dad, you've never talked about Uncle Kun before."

Taeyong squirmed. "Haven't I?"

Jaemin opened his mouth to say something to his father, but the next moment - 

"It's them!" Minhyung yelled in excitement. He punched a fist into the air.

A tall boy stepped out of the car, pulling a suitcase behind him. He looked quite nervous, but nevertheless, a shaky half-smile was on his face. Behind him, a smaller boy followed. He was quite shy, and was only a little more than half his brother's height. He had a suitcase with him, too, and carried a bright yellow bag on his back. Behind them, another boy, with a Moomin-patterned backpack and matching suitcase followed. From the front seat, the tallest boy emerged. There was a black bag slung carelessly over his shoulder. His face was cool and emotionless.

_Xuxi. Chenle. Renjun. Sicheng._

Taeyong hurried forwards.

"Welcome!" He said brightly. "I'm your uncle, Taeyong! And these - these are your cousins." He gestured at the four standing awkwardly behind him. "Here, let me help you with your bags."

"No, it's okay," Xuxi almost shouted.

The tallest boy's brow furrowed, and he pushed his younger brothers behind him.

"We can manage our bags ourselves." His voice was cold.

Concern flooded Taeyong at Sicheng's challenging gaze.

"Alright... well, let us show you where you're staying! Minhyung, you can show Xuxi your bedroom. Jeno, Jaemin, you guys take Renjun. Jisung, Chenle, Sicheng, come with me."

"Thank you." Renjun nodded. "We appreciate it."

As they entered the house - Minhyung and Xuxi first, the former chatting away while the latter remained silent; the unusually quiet twins with a cold-eyed Renjun; an excited-looking Jisung with a nervous Chenle, and an icy, stony-faced Sicheng, Taeyong felt the uncomfortable feeling in his stomach grow. This was  _not_ going the way he had planned: he had imagined that Sicheng, Xuxi, Renjun and Chenle would all be cheerful and loud, laughing and talking. Instead, they were the opposite: quiet, cool, distant. Unapproachable.

And this was only the start of it all. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, here's the first chapter!!! I hope you liked it!  
> I have no idea as to what will happen next, but oh well, let's see where this goes :)


	2. I Don't Need You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After like a million years, here's Chapter 2! I'm sorry that this chapter isn't very good; I hope the rest of this fic will be way better!  
> 

Taeyong couldn't help feeling like he had done something wrong.

Maybe it was the way Xuxi picked at his food. Maybe it was the way Renjun constantly whispered into Chenle's ear. Maybe it was the cold look Sicheng wore on his face.

"So, how's your father?" Taeyong asked, desperate to break the silence.

Xuxi jumped in his seat. Renjun froze.

"He's fine," Sicheng said harshly. He pushed his plate forwards. "I'm not hungry. Thanks for the food."

With that, he stood up and swiftly left the room.

Anger filled Taeyong, but it disappeared as quickly as it came when he saw Xuxi and Renjun exchange a quick glance; a saddened, dispirited look that tugged at Taeyong's heartstrings.

"I'm sorry," Chenle said quietly after a silence. He gently put his chopsticks down onto the table. His dark eyes filled with tears.

"What are you sorry for, dear?" Taeyong couldn't contain his surprise. "You have nothing to be sorry for."

"Is your brother always like this?" Minhyung interrupted, an uncharacteristically serious look on his face.

"Lee Minhyung," Taeyong said warningly.

"No, Dad. I don't get it. Why are they so ungrateful?" Minhyung asked, as if Xuxi, Renjun and Chenle weren't sitting right next to them.

Taeyong sighed, but before he could say anything, Xuxi started talking.

"What do you mean?" Xuxi spat bitterly. "Ungrateful? You haven't been through half the things we've been through!"

"Yeah? Like what?" Minhyung stood up. His hands were shaking. "What about your parents fighting the whole night? Your parents telling you that everything is going to be okay, and then they separate? Divorce? Do you  _know_ what it feels like when one of your parents leaves after saying that they'll stay with you forever? When they never contact you, not even on your birthday?"

"Shut up," Xuxi snapped. His fists were clenched tightly. Though he and Minhyung were both thirteen years old, he towered above the other boy. He scoffed. " _You_ think that's the worst thing that can happen? You don't know  _anything_."

"Lee Minhyung!" Taeyong's voice was sharp. "Huang Xuxi. Sit down."

Both boys ignored Taeyong.

"You should be grateful that Dad allowed you to stay with us!" Minhyung seethed.

The glance Xuxi shot Minhyung was enough to make even Taeyong's blood chill. He grabbed Renjun's arm and Chenle's hand, and pulled the two out of their chairs, out of the room. While Renjun tore his arm free of his brother's strong grip and angrily whispered to him, Chenle allowed himself to be tugged away, the distraught expression on his face causing the guilt in Taeyong's chest to grow heavier.

"Lee Minhyung, what you just said to Xuxi was very rude and disrespectful," he scolded his eldest son.

Minhyung looked down shamefully, but when he looked at his father again, his voice was defiant. "I know. I'm... I'm sorry. But still, theywere so rude, especially Sicheng."

"After dinner, I expect you to apologise to Xuxi. No matter how they act, you should know better."

Minhyung sighed.

"We shouldn't be mean to them," Jisung mumbled. The six year old stared down at his empty plate.

Minhyung stiffened. Jaemin and Jeno shared a quick glance. Taeyong tried to keep his expression mild.

"What do you mean, Jisung?" Jaemin asked quickly.

Jisung stared at his feet. "N - nothing."

"They have been through some very tough times," Taeyong said firmly. "Jeno, Jaemin, I want you two to talk to Renjun. Jisung, Chenle. Minhyung, Xuxi. No buts," he added as Minhyung opened his mouth to protest. "And I'll talk to Sicheng. They are your cousins."  _Kun's children_. "Do you understand?"

"Yes, Dad," the four sighed.

"When you've finished eating, I want you to go back to your bedrooms and start talking to Xuxi, Renjun and Chenle. Do you understand?"

Minhyung nodded. Jeno frowned. Jaemin scrunched his nose. Jisung slipped out of his chair and ran out of the room. His brothers followed, Minhyung groaning loudly, the twins muttering to each other.

Taeyong stared at his children as they left the room.

He sighed and downed the rest of his wine.  _This is going to be a long night_ , he thought to himself. 

*          *          *

Taeyong took a deep breath as he knocked on the door of the guest bedroom.

Sicheng was the oldest of Kun's children, at seventeen years old. He, mostly likely, knew the most about... about the problems that had lead to Kun sending him and his brothers away. 

There was no reply.

Taeyong knocked again.

Silence.

"Sicheng, I'm coming in," he tried. When there was no response, Taeyong inhaled deeply, and pushed the door open.

Sicheng was lying on the bed. He had not unpacked yet - his backpack stood on the desk, next to -

 _Next to his passport_.

"Sicheng, what is the meaning of this?" Taeyong questioned. "Are you planning to leave?"

Sicheng's eyes opened. "I'm not staying," he answered stoically.

"Your father told me - "

He seemed to have struck a nerve. The seventeen year old boy sat up. His eyes flashed.

"I'm not going back home. I - I'll find somewhere else to stay."

"That's crazy!" Taeyong snapped. "Everything's already been settled. You are staying here until your father says that you can return home. And that's final."

"Why did you agree to let us stay?" Sicheng asked after a pause. 

 _Why_ did _I agree_ _?_ Taeyong wondered. "Kun is my brother. I couldn't  _not_ help him in his time of need. He needed my help."

"Well,  _I_ don't need you," Sicheng replied harshly. "I don't understand why - " he suddenly broke off. "What do you want?"

"Is your rudeness really necessary, Sicheng?" Taeyong asked. "I'm trying - I'm trying to help."

Sicheng snorted. "I don't need your help. I don't need you." With that, he rolled onto his side, facing the wall, away from Taeyong. "If I really have to, I'll stay."

"Thank you. Goodnight." Taeyong had already given up. 

As he moved to close the door, he could've sworn he heard Sicheng mumbling, as if trying to convince himself that it was true, over and over again,  _"_ _I don't need you_ _."_


	3. Making Amends

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> omg I'm so sorry that it's been so long since the last update!  
> Here's chapter 3 :)

“So.”

“So?”

The two thirteen year olds stared at each other; Minhyung lying across his bed, Xuxi sitting cross-legged on the mattress next to it.

“What do you want to say?” Xuxi asked bluntly. “Spit it out.”

“I have nothing to say to you,” Minhyung growled.

“It’s not my fault I’m here,” Xuxi snapped. “In fact, I would rather be anywhere but here.”

“So why aren’t you?” Minhyung asked loudly.

Xuxi was silent for a moment. Then, in a chillingly emotionless voice, he said, “Because of my mother.”

“Your mother?” Minhyung abandoned his animosity. Curiosity, along with concern, flitted across his face. “Why - “

“It’s not important.” Xuxi’s voice was softer, too. “Well, I guess it is. But… please don’t talk to me about… about things at home.”

An awkward silence filled the room.

“Alright.”

“Thanks.” Xuxi smiled, and Minhyung realised that it was the first time that he had ever seen his cousin smile.

“You know, you’re not as bad as I thought you were,” Minhyung said honestly.

“Same here. And I’m sorry for exploding at you before.”

“Nah, I’m the one who’s sorry. I shouldn’t have been rude.”

“We good?”

“Yeah.”

The two boy grinned at each other.

“So, um, how do you think the twins and Renjun are doing?” Minhyung asked.

Xuxi chuckled. “Knowing Renjun, he’s probably going to try strangle them.”

“Yeah, ha - wait, what?!”

 

* * *

 

Jeno fidgeted with his sleeve.

“Well,” Jaemin tried. “Welcome.”

Renjun stared at the twins. His face was expressionless. “What do you want? Spit it out.”

Jeno winced. Jaemin glared at his cousin. “We’re trying to be nice. You don’t need to be so rude.”

Renjun rolled his eyes. “Then stop trying to be nice. I don’t need your pity.”

“We’re not pitying you,” Jeno said calmly. He laid a hand on his twin’s arm. “Jaemin, calm down. Listen, Renjun. We just want to be your friends.”

Renjun sighed. “Yeah, I get it. Thanks, but no thanks. I don’t need friends.”

“You don’t need friends?” Jaemin’s astonishment was obvious on his face and in his voice.

“Do you have the mental capacity of a five year old?” Renjun shot at Jaemin.

But before Jaemin could reply, the door swung open. Xuxi and Minhyung stood together, awkwardly, in the hallway. Jeno’s eyes widened. Renjun scowled.

“Renjun,” Xuxi sighed, and Renjun brushed past Minhyung. The two brothers started rapidly talking to each other, Xuxi’s tone calm and gentle, Renjun’s harsh and angry.

Minhyung stepped inside the room and closed the door behind him. “I know he can seem rude, but try to talk to him rationally. Get him to open up.”

“I tried being nice but then he got super mad!” Jaemin complained. “You try to talk to him, dude!”

“Just be calm.  They’re our cousins, after all. And they’ve been through a lot. Listen, Xuxi was being annoying at first, but, hey, I tried to be nice, and then we apologised to each other. Now everything’s chill.”

“Are you sure that’ll work?” Jeno asked sceptically.

Minhyung stared at his younger brothers. “Be kind to Renjun, okay?”

“Alright, fine, whatever.” Jaemin rolled his eyes. “If he’s nice first.”

"Jaemin."

“No, Minhyung - "

“You’re acting so weird,” Jeno interjected. He turned to face his twin.

Jaemin bit his lip and avoided his brothers’ gazes. “There’s something I need to tell you,” he said seriously.

 

Meanwhile, on the other side of the door, Xuxi and Renjun were sharing a heated conversation.

“I don’t get it,” Renjun growled. “Why are we even here? Why do I have to be nice to them?”

“Renjun, Dad talked about this, with us. Remember? He said - “

“ - 'You must be kind to your cousins. They are our family, after all.' I’m not stupid.” Renjun shakes his head in disbelief. “You’re such a hypocrite, Xuxi.”

“Look. I was wrong. They’re not going to hurt us.”

“How do you know that?”

Xuxi hesitated. His stare remained firm. “They’re our father’s family. Not our mother’s.”

Renjun’s face paled. For a moment, there was nothing but silence, nothing but stillness. The hateful expression on his face would have been intimidating if not for the trembling of his body.

“I - I - “

“It’s fine, Renjun.” Xuxi pushed the door open. Inside the room, Minhyung, Jeno and Jaemin stopped speaking. “Minhyung, let’s go back to your room.”

The two older boys quickly left. The three younger boys were silent.

“I’m sorry,” Renjun mumbled, hating the way the words felt on his tongue, the bitter truth they carried.

Jeno and Jaemin exchanged a surprised glance.

“Uh, well, we accept,” Jaemin said quickly. “We’re sorry, too. For... “

“... not giving you a chance,” Jeno finished. “It’s all good now.”

Renjun nodded. “Cool.”

An awkward silence ensued, only to be broken by a small laugh from Jeno.

“What’s so funny?” Jaemin asked.

Jeno shook his head and laughed louder. Then Jaemin started laughing.

Soon, they were all laughing together, tension gone. No, for at least a moment, they were simply being themselves.

 

* * *

 

“Are you okay, Chenle?” Jisung asked.

Chenle stared at his cousin. His lip trembled.

“Ji, what if _she_ comes for us?”

The two youngest had come together very quickly, far quicker than their siblings. In fact, after only a couple hours spent together, they already seemed like best friends. 

“My dad will protect you,” Jisung said confidently.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

Chenle smiled. “Okay!”

“Okay!”

The two children continued to talk, blissfully unaware of an impending doom. In fact, that night, they all - Taeyong, Sicheng, Xuxi, Minhyung, Renjun, Jeno, Jaemin, Chenle and Jisung - slept peacefully in their beds, believing all the problems they had at hand had been resolved. They slept, for some of them, the best they'd slept in months. They were so sure of the peace they had acquired, so sure that everything was going to be fine. They were so naive, so innocent, so unaware of the horrors that were to come.


	4. A Twist

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> istg i'm terrible at updating

The next morning, it seemed as if everybody had changed.

“Good morning,” Sicheng said quietly.

“Good morning, Sicheng,” Taeyong answered, slightly surprised.

“Good morning Uncle Taeyong,” Chenle chirped, entering the dining room with a still-sleepy Jisung.

“Good morning,” Xuxi and Renjun yawned.

“Good morning Chenle, Xuxi, Renjun.” Taeyong’s initial surprise faded away and he smiled at his nephews before turning to his own children. “Can’t you four be that respectful?” He asked jokingly.

“What do you want us to say, Dad?” Minhyung asked. He yawned.

“‘Good morning, Dad’. Is that what you want to hear?” Jaemin questioned, nearly knocking over the box of cereal.

“You seem sleepy. What time did you sleep?”

“Uh, well, Xuxi and I were talking, so, um, we slept a little late - around two or three?”

“ _Lee Minhyung_. I suppose you weren’t the only one, though. Jeno and Jaemin, Jisung, when did you three sleep?”

“We slept at about the same time as Minhyung,” Jeno said guiltily.

“I don’t know what time we slept, Dad, but Chenle said that we slept at midnight!” Jisung said excitedly.

Taeyong facepalmed. “Well, I suppose that it’s nice that you are all getting to know each other - but we will have to set some rules on bedtime. Though I notice Xuxi, Renjun and Chenle aren’t tired?”

“We’re used to it,” Renjun shrugged.

Concern flashed across Taeyong’s face. “Used to it?” He repeated.

His four nephews exchanged glances. “It’s… nothing,” Sicheng said after a pause..

“Alright,” Taeyong decided to say. “Well… I thought it would be a good idea to show Sicheng, Xuxi, Renjun and Chenle around the neighbourhood. Introduce them to your friends.”

“Okay,” Jaemin sang. “Then let’s get ready!”

Ten minutes later, they were ready.

“Come back before twelve, alright?” Taeyong asked, rubbing his temple. “And tell your friends that they’re welcome for lunch.”

“Got it.” Minhyung grinned at his father, and then ushered his brothers and cousins towards the front door. Sicheng shot his uncle a glance and then followed the others out. 

* * *

“Kids, what a surprise!” Seo Youngho exclaimed. “And I assume these must be Sicheng, Xuxi, Renjun and Chenle.”

“Dad thought we might show them around the neighbourhood,” Minhyung explained. “So, we decided to bring them to meet you guys.”

“Well, do come in!” Youngho smiled. “Ten and Yuta were just about to go for a run.”

As the group of eight followed Youngho into his home, the sound of loud cursing reached their ears - most of their ears; Jaemin instinctively blocked Jisung’s ears, as did Renjun did the same to Chenle. Youngho rolled his eyes at his family’s antics.

“Ten, Yuta, we have guests. Mind your language.” The door to the living room swung open, revealing two people sprawled across the carpet playing a video game.

“Mark, Jen, Jaem, Ji! And you four must be Kun’s children!” The older man paused the game and leapt to his feet.

“Nice to meet you,” Xuxi said politely.

“This is my husband, Ten, and this is our son, Yuta,” Youngho said, gesturing to the man who was now hugging Renjun and to the teenage boy staring at them.

“We were best friends with your father,” Ten grinned, squishing Chenle’s cheeks. “How is he?”

An awkward silence fell over the group.

“They’re staying with Taeyong right now,” Youngho explained tentatively.

Ten’s expression immediately changed. He nodded. “I see. Well, feel free to come here anytime. As I said before, Kun is a great friend of ours. We were very close.”

“Dad lived here.” Sicheng’s words were sharp, though his expression remained civil. Ten raised his eyebrows. Interest flickered in Yuta’s eyes. Confusion crossed Youngho’s face.

“What do you mean, Sicheng? He didn’t tell you that?”

“No.” This time, the coldness and harshness in his voice were reflected in his face.

“I see you’re a smart one,” Youngho chuckled. “Yes. He did, actually. He lived here right from when he was born until he was seventeen.”

“Why would he lie about something like that?” Minhyung’s voice cut across the silence. “I don’t know about you guys, but there is definitely something sketchy happening.”

Something like recognition flashed across both Youngho and Ten’s faces. They exchanged a dark glance.

“It’s not relevant anymore,” Ten said quickly. “Why don’t you all sit down? Johnny and I did some baking a few days ago. We’ll go get it now.”

As soon as the adults left, Yuta walked over to the group. “Spill.”

“What?” Xuxi looked momentarily disoriented.

“Come on. Stop. Like Mark said, something’s going on in your family.”

“That’s none of your business.” Sicheng glared at Yuta.

Yuta raised an eyebrow. “Oh, I don’t care. It’s not about me, anyway. It’s about these kids. Your brothers. Your cousins. Whatever’s going on is going to affect them.”

“Yuta - “ Minhyung started.

“As I said before, what is happening in my family is none of your business.” Sicheng’s expression made his cousins freeze; his younger brothers glanced at each other and then looked away.

Yuta simply laughed.

Before he could reply, Youngho and Ten entered the room, the former holding a plate piled high with cookies, the latter balancing a tray laden with brownies.

“Help yourselves,” Ten smiled.

While Yuta, Minhyung, Jeno, Jaemin and Jisung eagerly grabbed cookies and brownies, Kun’s four children stiffly stood side by side, rooted to the ground. Unmoving. Still and quiet.

“Don’t you want to eat?” Youngho asked, the faintest trace of concern in his voice.

Renjun shook his head. “N - no, thank you.” He trembled.

Xuxi pushed his younger brother behind him. “Stop what you’re doing!” He shouted. “It isn’t going to work!”

“Xu - “ Ten began confusedly.

“It was _her_ , wasn’t it?”

* * *

Alone in the house, Taeyong sighed.

It felt strangely empty without any children - both his and Kun’s, now, he reminded himself. Left with only silence, unwelcome thoughts began to creep into his mind.

He remembered Kim Dongyoung. Dongyoung, his first love, his first heartbreak. Dongyoung, who had -

Taeyong shook his head and sipped his glass of wine. Remembering Dongyoung was too painful. He tried to think of something else, yet there was nothing he could focus on. All he could think about was _that_ day, the day -

The doorbell rang, distracting Taeyong from his thoughts. He sighed, put his wineglass down and hurried to open the door.

His eyes widened. His fists clenched. A slow, heavy emotion rose up inside of him at the sight of his uninvited guest. Taeyong forced himself to stay calm, to smile, despite the emotion he now recognised as despair.

“It’s been a while, Taeyong,” Kim Dongyoung said.


End file.
